NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A longtime Nashville childcare center that has served families for nearly a century is facing its biggest challenge yet as the holidays approach.
The Eighteenth Avenue Family Enrichment Center in North Nashville is asking for community support to provide Thanksgiving meals and Christmas gifts for hundreds of families. Rising costs, inflation, and declining donations have left the center struggling to meet growing demand.
"We're gearing up for Thanksgiving, so you're going to see thousands of boxes of food and hopefully some turkey sometime soon," co-director Roxanne McEwen-Fondren said.
Since 1934, the center has been a cornerstone for families, offering childcare, food, and essential resources. Directors McEwen-Fondren and Abby Champion say their work is a labor of love, but this holiday season brings unprecedented challenges. Inflation and delayed SNAP benefits are straining families already facing potential cuts to childcare vouchers.
Right now, the center needs 65 turkeys for Thanksgiving and has zero toys for Christmas, even though 300 families have requested holiday assistance.
"We're still in need of donations—turkeys in particular, because we have all these wonderful sides, but Thanksgiving is nothing without a turkey," McEwen-Fondren said.
As Christmas nears, staff members say they’re having difficult conversations with parents, many of whom are unsure whether help will come.
"Three hundred families are on our list expecting Christmas assistance and Thanksgiving assistance. And right now we're just telling them, hey, you know, we don't have anything, but just please wait," McEwen-Fondren said.
For an organization built on giving back, asking for help is a last resort. Over the years, the center has weathered tornadoes, COVID-19 shutdowns, and economic hardships—surviving, staff say, through heart and community support.
"We're in need of about 65 turkeys right now. We're also in desperate need of toys. We have zero toys this year," McEwen-Fondren said.
Despite the challenges, the center remains committed to its mission of serving North Nashville children and families.
"It's a blessing to be a blessing," McEwen-Fondren said.
The center hopes community support will ensure the children and families they serve don't go without during the holiday season. Donations can be dropped off at the Eighteenth Avenue Family Enrichment Center or made online.
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